It's longer, taller and wider, but it's still unmistakably a Suzuki Swift.

The new 2011 model of the Japanese hatch has broken cover, with the company releasing the first official details of the car.

While it has retained the unmistakable lines of the quirky 2005 Swift, the new model is bigger in every way.

It is 90mm longer, the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) has been stretched by 50mm and it is marginally wider and taller.

The car also has a wider stance, with the front and rear wheels wider apart. Suzuki predicts the new car will offer better noise refinement and safety, with extensive use of higher strength steel making the bodyshell lighter and stiffer than before.

“We are very excited about the preliminary release of the new car, but we are still some way off finalising the Australian version of the next Swift,” said Tony Devers, Suzuki Australian General Manager.

“The new Swift doesn’t go on sale here until the first half of next year, so we still have some development time to work through.”

The work will focus on finalising the engine and equipment specification of the car.

European models will be fitted with either a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.3-litre diesel engine, but Suzuki Australia has admitted there are larger petrol engine options available.

The current range has a choice of has 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. Suzuki is also considering adding the diesel to the new model Swift.

The company won’t divulge the petrol options being considered, but Devers says they “offer even better performance and economy” than the current model.

The Swift is Suzuki Australia’s best selling model, chalking up more than 5000 sales already in 2010.